The Gospel Of The Kingdom For accuracy, the Bible translations recommended are the Authorized King James Version or the New King James Version. 18a) After Baptism 18c) Satan and his World 18d) Newly Converted are Easily offended - Their Hearts are Tender 18e) Offending Brethren 18f) Attitude Towards those Outside the Church - Give None Offense 18g) Bearing Fruits 18h) The Trying of Our Faith - Trials and Tests Which will Come 20. Mystery Babylon The Great - interpretation of Revelation 17th chapter 22. Place of Safety 23. Return of Christ 23a The Millennium 23b The Judgment Period 24. A New Heaven and a New Earth 24a) New Jerusalem
Chapter 1 Awareness Everything is centered in awareness. We are alive. To be dead is not to live. It is not to see, hear, and have feelings and thoughts. Now is the time and here is the place to live. Awareness means being in touch with our world in the here and now. We are able to perceive the world through the senses. Our minds can taste the truth. The world is an astonishingly complex and varied place with so many different people. To understand others we must first come to know ourselves. That person who stares back in the mirror will always be with you wherever you go. So why not get to know them ? Know Thyself ! To understand ourselves we must be aware of the world around us. This is our living space where people eat, work, sleep, play, and socialize. The environment influences us with some environmental factors more important than others. Mankind is shaped and molded by this environment, and it also shapes and influences our attitudes and perceptions of the world. We perceive the world through our senses and our minds. The senses can only take in what is going on around us. Some might argue that they are not shaped and molded by any outside forces, but rather they go out and change the world to suit themselves. Such persons may say it is they who make things happen, and they are not some passive patsies, who bend in every direction the wind blows. Yet if we would be aware of this life we would come to understand that there are things which we can't change. There are forces and powers greater than us. Death is stronger than we are. Mankind is as a flower, which grows for a short time, blooms briefly, then fades away and dies. Chapter 2 Of The Earth You may have heard the saying " everyone always talks about the weather but nobody ever does anything about it." Mankind cannot alter the weather and yet people complain about it all the time. The arrogance of modern man in this industrial, mechanical age is truly amazing. You hear on the radio the weather forecast issued by Environment Canada. The radio announcer proceeds to say that today it will be sunny or it will rain and so on. It begins to sound more like a decree than a prediction. Since we are able to understand how the weather works, men are able to make fairly accurate forecasts. However it begins to sound like they are responsible for the whole business. Just like the rooster who thought that it was his crowing which caused the sun to rise in the morning. The sun, earth, air, and water along with the plants and animals work together to create the environment in which man lives. Just like the birds and mammals we adapt to the climate and geography. People live on the plains, or in the mountains or along the ocean shore. Some men are forest dwellers, while others live in the desert. Many are crowded together in huge cities and live most of their lives indoors. A huge portion of men still live in rural situations or in villages. Climate is a huge factor in the kind of houses built and in the types of food grown. Some people reason that urban man is no longer influenced by climate and the shape of the land. It is the country dweller, the peasant who still has the connection with the earth and sky. The distance between the land and the city cannot be measured in miles. They are two entirely different worlds. Yet city dwellers are still influenced by the climate and the earth, but to a much lesser degree than the farmer. We must be aware of how the physical environment influences our attitudes and perceptions. The man living in the tropical rainforest is a different situation from the man living in the arctic. One goes about almost naked while the other can only survive by wearing a heavy parka and warm boots and mittens. People who live in a lush, fertile river valley are not going to have the same outlook as those who live high up in the mountains. So this is why we have different tribes of men just as we have different species of birds or dogs. In the arctic the climate is very cold. In winter the sun sets and does not rise again for two to three months, and in midsummer the sun shines twenty four hours a day. The distances between settlements is great, therefore many villages and towns are very isolated. The winter lasts for well over seven months and the temperature is very cold and frequently drops down to around -40 degrees below Fahrenheit. Anyone living in that sort of environment can't help but be influenced by it. When that cold north wind blows and the thermometer falls down to -40 degrees it is bitterly cold. How can this sort of weather not have an effect on ones attitudes and perceptions ? It is mostly very hot in the tropics, so many tropical people follow the custom of observing a siesta during the hottest part of the day, when the sun is right overhead. In some tropical areas every few years a great hurricane rises up from the sea and smashes onto land. Many houses are destroyed by the strong winds and so the people always dread the possibility that a storm may hit them. This sort of natural phenomenon cannot help but have an influence upon the attitudes and perceptions of these people. These are just two examples. Some people live in earthquake zones where the earth buckles and quakes. Some live in semi-arid areas where quite often the rains fail, and the result is famine. In other areas such as on the West Coast of Canada there is a tremendous amount of rainfall. At times it rains for days and days on end and how can this not influence men, even though many are snug and comfortable in their homes. So we need to be aware of how the sun, earth, weather, plants, and animals create an environment of which man is part. We are part of nature. However men are also subject to the influences of their social environment. A major factor is how each of us makes his living. There are five different means of earning ones living and this is through; hunting and gathering, herding of animals, agriculture, fishing, and industrialization. There may be a mixture or blend of these factors in a given society. We need to be aware of how important the means of getting our living is to us. It has a tremendous influence upon our perceptions and point of view. Those who live by hunting and gathering can still be found in isolated parts of the world. Only a few short years ago in mankind's history a large percentage of humans made their living that way. This was the way the aboriginals lived before the white man came to North America. We know that their conceptions were totally different from the Europeans ideas. Agriculture and hunting and gathering are two entirely different approaches to this challenge of earning our livings. So the attitudes and perceptions were shaped by the social environment. In these two opposing views the concept of use of land is totally at odds. The farmer wants to own his plot of ground and build a house and settle down. The hunter follows the game and has no need to own the land and build a fence around it. Moose and deer do not care about fences. Boundaries were natural such as mountains, or rivers, or maybe the change from prairies to woodland. Each tribe lived in their territory and there may have been disputes with neighboring tribes over hunting grounds, but each had their own land. The concept of land title never existed, and it still does not exist to this day with many Indian people in Canada. Agriculture requires that the man stays on that piece of ground and he gets a piece of paper from the government, which says he is now the owner of it. Herding of animals is still practiced by groups of people in such places as Africa. Fishing is practiced by maritime peoples as in the case with many Newfoundlanders. More and more every year we are seeing industrialization take control. This is the trend worldwide and millions are flocking to the cities in the hopes of improving their living conditions. Agriculture and fishing are becoming more and more industrialized, so fewer workers are needed in these sectors. In industrialization there is a high degree of specialization of labor. In a factory for instance you will find that each worker does one little part. Nobody does the whole job, because it is not set up that way. People are organized and the work arranged so that each does one part and when they all do their part the job is finished. The system is more efficient, but not good for the person who must do one job over and over again all day long. More and more we are seeing jobs being taken over by machines. Even the home has become mechanized with automatic washers and dryers and vacuum cleaners and even electric knives. Calgary and Edmonton have one of the highest rates of ownership of automobiles per person in the world. The traffic never stops and there is a continuous noise from these modern chariots. It often seems that the city is more designed to accommodate the cars than the people. It takes about (1 ½ hrs) one and a half hours to walk five miles at a normal pace. Yet get on a jet from Edmonton to Vancouver (which is about six hundred miles) and it takes about (1½ hrs) one and a half hours. If you would have to walk it would take a long time to get there. Yet get on a jet and there you are above the mountains and even above the clouds. Birds don't even fly that high. Machines have increased mans capacity to do things such as work or to travel. This has profoundly influenced how we view ourselves and our conceptions of the world. Men have at their control a system that has vastly magnified their own powers. Now many people believe that there is nothing that they can't do. The machines and industrialization have made it possible to produce goods cheaply and in large quantity. It has brought us many advances in science which improve life for us. It has also brought us noise and air and water pollution. It has also given us nuclear weapons through which man can destroy all human life from off the planet. It also has many amusing results. You can see a lot of men in this industrialized society who operate machines such as trucks or tractors and machines which are very powerful. Somehow these people think that because they run a big machine that they are strong men. This so-called strength or ability to control a machine takes on sexual connotations. At the place I was working we were sitting outside having lunch and this fellow drives in with this tractor trailer which was a new and sturdy machine. One of the ladies there was really impressed and she began admiring the man driving the truck although she could hardly see him, but saw only the vehicle. What on earth does a truck have to do with sex or sexual potency? Do we make love to machines or to a human being? Man is flesh and blood and not a machine? The answer is that our social environment influences and shapes our perceptions and points of views. It influences the way people think for better or worse. Be aware of your environment and then you will be able to understand why you and others have the perceptions and points of view you have. Chapter 3 Family Environment It is well known that the family is by far the most important factor, which shapes our perceptions and attitudes. You cannot understand yourself and others without taking into account the kind of family environment we were exposed to. Caveat - Just because you may have grown up in one or more of these environments, this doesn't automatically mean you will, or have developed all the various perceptions and attitudes mentioned here. We are talking in general terms. People are complex creatures. Remember also that once we grow up and can make our own decisions, we can change. We are not helpless victims of the environments we have been exposed to. However, when we are small and vulnerable, with little experience, and little control over our lives, we definitely are enormously influenced by the family atmospheres we have been exposed to, whether they are positive or negative Negative Family Environments
Negative Family Environment 1. Political atmosphere where father and mother use children as pawns in their power struggles and sexual games. The family is a political arena and husband and wife are involved in sexual politics. They are struggling for power in the family through political means. Children are used as pawns in the political maneuvering. One parent may try to get on the good side of the child to turn them against the other parent. The family becomes fragmented and divided and is just an arena for the playing of political games.
2. Complaining Atmosphere. One of the spouses is a complainer. There usually seems to be something wrong with their health and they seem to be sick a lot. The family very often hears the persons grumbling about how this hurts and that aches. The family finds it very difficult to be happy, because they are always subject to the miserable complaints of one of the parents. A gloomy cloud descends over the family like a thick blanket.
3. Indifferent Family Environment. Unstimulating and dull. Husband and wife just go through the routine of marriage. No one really cares too much about anyone. Children can usually come and go as they please and do whatever they like. In the evening the family sits down and watches TV. No one cares much about what the other thinks, and don't want to be bothered. Marriage is just seen as a dull meal with the dessert first.
4. Atmosphere of domination by father of the wife and children. Father is essentially a weak man, and has no confidence in his ability to inspire love and loyalty. Therefore he feels he must dominate the whole family. Any initiative shown by the wife or children is suppressed ,so the family atmosphere is a stifling and oppressive one.
5. Atmosphere of fear and anxiety. One of the mates is a worrier and the other one catches the habit from them. The man and woman are always worried that the worse is going to happen of total disaster is just around the corner. If one course of action is taken they then worry whether it might be wrong and maybe they should have done something else. The atmosphere is one of fearfulness and concern that whatever is done it won't turn out good anyways.
6. Atmosphere of Criticism. One of the parents starts it and it easily spreads to the other. Then the children pick it up and everyone gets involved in criticizing everyone. This is no good and that is no good - nothing or nobody is any good. Sometimes relatives import the criticism when they do not think one of the mates is any good. Words are used to tear others in the family down. The family members get involved in judging the others characters and personalities, rather than speaking to the situation. This boy is stupid or this husband is clumsy and the wife is lazy or the girl is messy and on and on it goes. There is constant unhappiness for everyone.
7. Atmosphere of just seeing the family as a symbol of status. Husband or wife or both are only interested in how the family can enhance their status in society. A husband is just someone to have so the wife can have social status among her friends. The husband may also just see the wife as something that he should have, because most everyone else has one and he does not want to be left out. The mate is only seen as a means to an end, which is increased status in the group. Children are just something that most everyone has and they should have a couple to be like the others. They are not valued for themselves, but are valued in that they increase the status of the parents.
8. Atmosphere of over-indulgence of children. Mom and Dad take great pleasure in working for and caring for their children. They love to do things for them and love to see them happy and laughing. They take great pleasure in their small children especially in the ages 3-5 because kids at that age are very charming and are a great source satisfaction and pleasure for the parents. They take great enjoyment out of giving them what they need and keeping them happy and smiling. However parents fail to prepare the children for their adult lives. They want them to be always children and a continual source of pleasure for them. Children are not prepared for when they are on their own and need to depend on their own resources.
9. Atmosphere of anger, hostility and dislike. Father and mother do not like each other, but stay together for the children's sake or for some other reason. The children soon learn to dislike each other. Nobody feels wanted or needed and desirable for their own selves. There are frequent arguments and shouting matches. The family is just a battle ground. Everyone is usually fighting with everyone else and there is little affection, because the parents don't get along, because they hate each other.
10. Atmosphere of total submissiveness by wife and wife battering and abuse. She submits herself to abuse by her man and he beats her up and curses her. She does not leave and is too weak to put up any resistance. The wife is too weak and helpless and feels she must put up with the situation, because she can't make it on her own. The husband meets with no resistance and so increases his sadistic actions toward her - the relationship is a sadomasochistic one. The husband is a weak man who soothes his inferiority complex by hurting those even weaker than himself. She has no self-respect and the husband takes advantage of this.
11. Kill - joy atmosphere where everything is gloomy. The parents are pessimists and usually see the dreary side of life. Death and funerals or accidents are brought up in conversations. They dwell upon how bad things are always happening and how the world is going to hell. They hardly ever expect anything good to happen. A dark and gloomy cloud hangs over the family like a blanket of fog over a cemetery. There is little humor or happiness in the home, and if someone try's to bring some sunshine in they are rebuffed.
12. Atmosphere of manipulation of the husband by the wife and children. He is just being used and works like a slave and then comes home and has to work there too. There is no end to all his labour. She collects the money, pays the bills and gives him an allowance, and decides how to spend the rest of the money. She may fool around on the side with other men, when he is out working. She manipulates him by playing sexual politics. When he begins to object and complain about his lot, she threatens to leave or denies him sex. She may also may begin to complain and nag until he finally gives in to her desires. The children just see him as a source of money and hardly even talk to him. He has an unrealistic nosy picture of others and may be caught up in an endless treadmill of work, work, work.
Positive Family Environments
1. Atmosphere of Stability. The man is a stable character and builds his life around God and Jesus Christ. He looks to God for leadership and guidance, because he realizes he can't do it by himself. He realizes that he does not have the wisdom and knowledge and strength to do it by himself. So he builds his life and his home and family around God. He chooses a woman for his wife who is willing to respect him and follow God along with him. She supports him and is a faithful, loyal wife. She realizes that a house without God cannot stand. She knows that she must be obedient to her husband just as the husband is obedient to God. The husband teaches the wife and children about God and Christ. He teaches the children to follow God's ways and instructs them from the Bible. The mother also teaches the children about God. The family has God as it's center. It is built and orientated around God. The family knows that God is strong and stable and always there so they look to him to help them do what they need to do. Influences
2. Atmosphere of simplicity in living and enjoyment. Husband and wife have learned the art of enjoyment. They take pleasure in the little things and enjoy themselves in the here and now. Material goods are seen as a means to end, not ends in themselves.
3. Atmosphere of respect or authority of husband by wife and children. Wife is supportive of husband's authority. They discipline the children in a reasonable firm manner. There are clear guidelines and a chain of authority and the children are expected to follow the guidelines.
4. Atmosphere of turning defeats into victories. When things don't turn out as expected the parent will not allow this to get them down. They will look for alternatives and not allow bad circumstances to control the day.
5. Atmosphere of mutual enjoyment. Mom and Dad have the idea that family living is a series of mutual enjoyments. They make it a point to see that life is enjoyed here and now. They enjoy their family at the present moment and don't postpone pleasure.
6. Atmosphere of kindly cheerfulness. Dad and Mom make it a point to be cheerful and help lift up those who are down. If someone is down due to some outside factor then the family can come and try to help them understand their situation and help them get over it or understand the situation as best as they can.
7. Atmosphere of developing the family enterprise. Father and Mother work to get everyone involved in building up the family. Everyone has their role to play and their personal responsibility. The family makes a point to do things together such as playing games, or camping or joining with other families in group activities. They go for walks together or work on projects together.
8. Atmosphere of love and affection. The husband and wife really love each other and embrace and hug each other often. There is a good physical relationship between them and this is very obvious to the children. Parents touch their children affectionately and no one is left out.
9. Atmosphere of installing confidence into its members. Father is capable and able and knows what he is doing. He realizes that to have confidence you need to know what you are doing, and have the proper training and education. Mother knows what it takes to be wife and mother. She realizes that being a capable parent or a good person is not a question of luck, but proper education and training and application of principles. Both partners know what to do and how to be capable and able parents.
10. Atmosphere of openness and honest expression of feelings between husband and wife. They communicate effectively and are able to listen to what the other is saying. The lines are open and so feelings are not allowed to build up. Instead of keeping everything inside they are able to make known how they feel before they blow up. Through effective communications the husband and wife are able to avoid loud and outrageous bursts of emotion. The children are communicated to in the same manner.
11. Atmosphere of productivity and creativity. Where each can live and grow as a human being - an atmosphere conducive to growth. Dad and mom are interested in growing as human beings. They see the opportunities of being husband and wife, father and mother, as a chance to grow, learn and explore.
12. Atmosphere of attaching the family to the human enterprise. Mom and Dad are involved in the world around them. They are aware of the larger community and take an active interest. They realize that the family is just a small part of the larger community and of the family of man.
Chapter 4 Atmospheres on the Job For those of us who must work for a living, the best hours of our work days are spent on the job. One cannot help but be influenced by the environment on the job, for better or worse. Negative Work Atmospheres
1. Competitive atmosphere. Workers against worker and worker against management and foreman against foreman and business against business. Political working environment with most persons trying to get ahead and beat the other guy, rather than doing the best job possible. The job is just a competitive arena. A spirit of competition prevails the work place. Attitudes and perceptions engendered.
2. Authoritarian work situation with boss in total control. There is no room for imitative and the work environment is a stifling one. The boss seeks to dominate his workers and be in control of them. Management strives to dominate workers and control them and be in charge of most everything.
3. Mindless repetition and lack of variety. Failing to rotate personnel which results in boredom and high rate of absenteeism. Cliques are formed without the company as a result of the lack of rotation. Perceptions, attitudes, viewpoints, feelings which are formed due to exposure to this environment.
4. Health and safety factors are ignored. The work environment may be dirty, dusty with poor ventilation and with fumes from chemicals. Also maybe much noise from machinery - an excessive amount of noise.
5. Management is out of touch with labor.
Positive Work Environments 1. Rewards Other Than Monetary
2. Opportunity For Social Contact On The Job
3. Provisions Made For Flexibility And Adaptability Provisions made for flexibility and adaptability in how the job is done. Clear instructions as to what needs to be done, but it is left up to the employee to do it in the way he or she believes best.
4. Health And Safety Regulations Enforced
5. Good Communications
6. Cooperation And Goal Orientated Working to get the job done smoothly and effectively, and not beat the other guy.
7. Opportunities For Transfers Or A System Of Rotation Set Up So To Avoid Boredom.
8. A System Of Profit Sharing A system of profit sharing so that the employees feel more a part of the organization. More incentives given to the workers so that they will have a reason to do better. Profit sharing is paid out on a group basis rather than individually.
9. Time Off For Holidays Time off to keep God's annual Holy Days.
Chapter 5 The Creation Scientist say that the universe is evolving and life on earth is slowly evolving, because creatures are constantly changing and adapting to the changing environment. Life was not created they will say but evolved, just as the stars were not created, but just happened because of this big explosion. The facts are that the astronomers have been able to observe the birth of stars in the heavens. New stars are actually being created at this very time in the universe - although the events we see today actually happened long, long ago because of the vast distances. Also they have been able to see the remnant of stars which died or exploded and these are called Supernova. On earth of course we are constant witnesses to the process of birth and death. Now can anyone of us remember anything about our birth ? For me everything before birth is just a blackness. Two hundred years ago you and I did not exist. Yet amazingly there are full grown human beings, who will stand and say we were not created, but we evolved from lower life forms. Yet here is a human who is able to walk, talk, think and work and just live on the earth, who a few short years ago did not exist. Here we have a created being telling us that we were not created. It is amazing, absolutely amazing ! A full grown, mature human being has got to be one of the most complex, complicated and refined of all creatures. We can't even understand how the human mind works to a large extent. Yet many say that this being evolved. Yes, but some will say that a person is just born through the course of nature. They then just grow up and this again is just a natural process and so people reason that everything we know and understand is just the result of normal natural processes which no one is really in charge of. However people don't realize how incredible complex we are and how we are subject to so many different forces. Anyone who has studied into the subject realizes that people don't just sprout up like trees. Our family has a tremendous influence upon each of us. The society we grow up in also influences each of us and not everyone grows up in the same sort of family or society. There is also the influence of heritage and also how important good nutrition is for our development. We can go on and on explaining about how it is quite clear that each of us is shaped and molded by so many varying forces and influences. People are utterly amazing and far too complex for anyone of us to comprehend totally. A being this complicated does not just happen. We are created beings each of us. A creation demands a creator and so my conclusion is that there has to be some intelligent being or beings who are working quietly behind the scenes. We are so miraculously made that there must be some superior beings who are out there and who controls the destiny of each human being. If you happen to go to an air show anytime you will be able to see some of the most sophisticated and complex machines built by men. If you were to say a jet plane just built itself and just sort of evolved people would think you were crazy. It is much more ludicrous to think that a full grown human being (who is infinitely more complex) just sort of put themselves together. There has to be some life giving, intelligent, superior being or beings or force which is responsible for all this. Man of course is only one part of nature. Just look at all the different animals, plants and birds on this planet. It is an absolutely fantastic earth. Man cannot even begin to understand the diversity and complicity of life on earth. All the way from the huge elephant to the tiny microscopic creatures. When we study life on earth we never cease to be amazed and full of wonder. Why we don't even understand everything about ants and flies. There are thousand upon thousands of different species of flies and they have their own particular life style and rituals. Very little is known about most of them. Now, man, the scientists tell us, is a part of nature. Our bodies are made up of different elements which come from the earth. There can be no doubt about this and when we die our bodies rot and are broken down and return to the earth. To stay alive we have to breathe air, drink water and eat food. We need shelter from the elements and in order to survive in colder climates people build large shelters which are heated in winter. Also we need clothes, warm clothes in colder climates just to keep warm and stay alive. Man is a very adaptable creature and can live in almost all kinds of climates. We are just like all the other creatures here on earth. We are interested in staying alive and having enough food to eat and having a place to live and then people want to reproduce and have babies. This is basically the same concern of all other living things. Chapter 6 What Is Truth ? Many people will tell you that there is no such a thing as truth, and that it all depends on your point of view. Many will tell you that a woman sees things differently then a man. People (especially so-called educated ones) will tell you that it is all a question of what kind of interpretation you place on things- ones man's meat is another man's poison. These questions are valid and must be answered. We have already gone over the section dealing with our environments. Your perceptions and attitudes are formed by being exposed to your environment. Your environment includes; the land, climate, means of production, family, your job and other factors as well. Children come into this world helpless and knowing almost nothing. Almost everything we have learned has come from being exposed to our environment. I remember hearing on the news a very peculiar story out of China. The details are gone from me but they discovered a ten year old girl in China who was living with pigs. This girl had not learned to speak, but made grunting noises something like a pig. She ate the same food as they ate. The pigs had accepted her as one of their own and would come to the rescue when she made any distressing calls. So she was able to communicate with them in their own language. This was very strange so experts were brought in to see what was wrong with the girl. Surely there must be something horribly abnormal with such a child. How did she get there and why did she make sounds like the pigs and live with them ? The conclusion was that she had simply living and associated too long with pigs. She had lived so long with pigs that she thought she was one. So she began to live and act like a pig, and that is all that's to it. There was nothing wrong with her otherwise. Stories such as these show us what a powerful influence environment can have on children. This was her world and all she knew, and so what else could you expect from her? Children are what they are because of the sum total of the environments they grew up in. You just can't expect anything else. The reason is simply that a human being when small is not aware of other possibilities and so take what is at hand. To them this is their world and nothing else exists in their mind , because they have not become aware of anything else. So what is so strange about a child thinking she is a pig, if that is all she knew? Human beings are simply products of their environment. We sometimes like to think in our arrogance that we are somehow so very superior to all other creatures. Yet we adapt and adjust to what is at hand, just like a squirrel, or a deer does. Man feels he is in charge and in control of his destiny, but this is not true. The little girl who thought she was a pig, maybe also felt she knew her world and could live in it. Yet she was just a victim of circumstances. Men are not in control of their destiny. They are just victims of circumstances. Circumstances which shape and mold them into what they are. We are simply products of greater forces and powers. These powers are beyond our ability to control. Mankind in this age feels he is more in control than ever, because of the machines and technology. However this idea is just an illusion. We have been able to send men to the moon and back. A person can get into one of these jets and fly high above the clouds at astonishing speeds. Also there is the automobile which gives a person a feeling of being in control. There you are in control of that machine and able to have a feeling of freedom. Surely man has raised himself up from the incestuous ties to mother earth? Now we are no longer the victims of the weather, but we have developed a system which will eventually lead us to controlling the whole solar system. Industrialization, computers, electronics will transform the world and give man more and more control. These ideas are merely illusions. If we would be aware of our world we must realize that man does not change his world, but the world changes him. Industrialization has caused us to adjust and adapt to living in such an environment. The tools we make cause us to change, because the tools alter our environment. Being in control is just an illusion and a very dangerous one at that. Industrialization for example cannot be reversed- you cannot un-invent technology. Nuclear weapons are here and if we are in control of these things then why haven't men disposed of them? Men come and go but technology and machines go on and on. So many people in this day and age grow up surrounded by machines. Edmonton and Calgary are industrialized environments where machines abound. This is true for a large portion of the world. However there are still many people who live on the land and work it by hand or with animals. In India and China industrialization has not touched a large percentage of the population, but it is coming. In Canada and the United States the machines are a big part of our environment. Children grow up exposed to T.V. and now computers, and video games. In the home machines abound such as the refrigerators, radios and vacuum cleaners and on and on. Much of the production of the goods and services in our society is done by machines. People just sort of work with them or run them, but most of the heavy work is preformed by machines. This is our social environment and it is almost impossible to get away from all the gadgets. People just seem to be pressured into getting the latest gadgets even thought the old one is still doing the job. This is supposedly progress and you are supposed to keep up with the times - so they say. Just like the girl who grew up with pigs and became like them - so also people today are growing up with the machines and becoming like them. Our bodies are viewed as highly sophisticated machines - the brain is compared to a computer. Machines do not have feelings and so people exposed to a mechanical atmosphere become machine like. They become cold, with blank faces and have minds which work sort of automatically - like programmed robots. Education consists of cluttering up the mind with a lot of facts and the regurgitating them up at testing time. The one who does this best is considered highly educated. The concept or attitude of man as a machine has entered into the medical field. Body parts are now being transplanted from dead to living. Medical science may soon go into the spare parts business, with shelves full of body organs just waiting to be sewn on someone. In fact in Edmonton years ago there was a man who offered money for anyone who would donate him a kidney. His own kidneys were shot, and he needed a new one to survive. Heart transplants are now becoming commonplace and in the United States they have put a mechanical heart into a man. Which is worse - to be like a pig or like a machine ? If I had to make a choice I would take the pig, because they are living creatures and I like eating ! Just joking. Attitudes towards sex has been influenced by the mechanical environment we are exposed to. Women expect instant performances from men, just like turning on a switch. When you don't turn on almost instantly they feel there must be something wrong with you. After all it only takes a few seconds to turn the TV on. So what is wrong with him ? Send him to the doctor to make some repairs or adjustments ! People exposed to such an environment forget that men are flesh and blood with feelings. Machines do not have feelings and so you must not allow your feelings to show through. The following is a list that shows how mechanical this society has come here in Canada.
In Canada this mechanical approach to the human being is very evident in the work place. When a machine is worn out all that is done is to just throw it out and get a new one. This same attitude is directed towards people. The employee is worked and used until they break down. Then the employer tells them they are not needed anymore and throws them out - something like throwing an old machine on the scrap heap. New people are hired and used until the same thing happens to them. The workers are viewed not as individuals, but as just replaceable parts of the process of production. In this system numbers are more important than names. Employee number or social insurance number are needed more than names, because of computers. The social security number is probably just a forerunner of a worldwide system of numbering people. A system of computer banks can be set up and locked together. All transactions will be processed through this system and if you don't have a number you won't be able to buy or sell. No one will care about your name - only about your number. To a large extent this has happened already in the industrialized world. Now everyone owns something even if these are a few in number. In some parts of the world you can still buy people. Now we are seeing something new on the scene and that is rent a person. The escort business has sprung up. If a man wants to go somewhere he can rent out an attractive lady as an escort. Male escorts are also available for women. They rent out machines, and so when people view themselves as machines the next logical step is to rent out people. You rent the person out for social purposes, so there is no such a thing as friendship in this situation. The agency is renting out people to entertain, and be a companion for a night. It seems there is no distinction made between man and machine - they are viewed like the same thing. Another idea we seem to get from being exposed to a mechanical environment, is that damage done to us is not permanent. You get your leg cut off - oh well no problem just go to the doctor and he will stick a new one on. You ruin your stomach and this is nothing - just go down to the old doc and he will fix you up just like that. Something like taking your car to the mechanic. A person fails to take care of their health and then expect medical science to just restore them to good health by giving them some pills or cutting something out. People are viewed as machines, so just cut out that old diseased heart and stick a new one in - something like changing motors in a car. Your kidneys are all rotten - that's nothing, just go down and they will give you some new ones. This attitude definitely does exist in many people. However, man is not a machine. We do suffer bodily injuries which are irreplaceable. A young man at one of the places I had worked, had his back broken when a platform fell on him. Broken backs do not heal and doctors can't give you an artificial one. He is now paralyzed for life from the waist down. Knee injuries can also be severe and permanent. When people become like machines they fail to realize how exposure to chemicals can be hazardous to their health. People forget how really susceptible our bodies are to be poisoned by all the fumes, chemicals, and various other pollutants in our environment. Machines don't get sick and die, because they are not alive. But we do get sick and die. So there is the mad scramble to manufacture more and more products which people believe will give them a better life. In this process the air, water and soil is being polluted. Yet this is just considered to be a necessary evil because jobs come first. So there may be few contaminants spread around - this is not considered serious because money comes first. There are hundreds of new chemicals being produced and the health risk has not been studied into enough. In order to live a healthy life a person needs clean air, good pure water and food grown on fertile soil. We need to move freely in the sunshine living close to nature. However most of us can't live like that. So we are subject to noise and air contamination and food, which is not top quality. Also exposed to work environments which are unhealthy. All these factors injure and impair our health. Yet you hear people say all the time that these things are nothing. Just don't think about it and it will go away. They seem to think our bodies are made of steel, when really man is much weaker and vulnerable than we think. We are as flowers, which bloom for a short while, fade and die. When people think of themselves as machines they fail to realize how it is possible to inflict permanent psychological damage on others. Permanent damage can result from these five different situations; A) Soldiers who suffer battle fatigue as a result of being exposed to almost continuous warfare for prolonged periods of time. These damages may be irreversible in nature.
B) Civilians who are living in a war zone- caught between two opposing forces. They are subject to indiscriminant bombings and attacks where innocent men, women and children die.
C) Prisoners of war - civilians and military who are uprooted from their home and transported to enemy territory.
D) Those who escape attempts by others to kill them.
E) Children who are severely battered are also likely to become damaged in a permanent way, psychologically. Perhaps one of the parents beats them unmercifully.
So hopefully we can all see that men are not machines, nor are they pigs. Yet the nature of man is such that he adapts and changes to suit his environment. Man is probably one of the most adaptable creatures on earth. In order for us to really know ourselves we must be aware of how vital the environment is for us. People march off to war and it seems such a waste. Why do they do it ? There must be something wrong with them. They are all nuts - some say. No! The truth is that through a bizarre set of circumstances they are forced into it - just innocent victims. Some men are leaders of great revolutions and you look at them and think they must be just warmongers and bloodthirsty. Well the chances are they are just victims of circumstances and happened to be at the right place at the right time. These series of conflicting events, pressed, pressured, and propelled them into taking the position they did. Religion is simply a body of beliefs, concepts, points of view, and perceptions which are the results of living in a particular environment. Man's environment causes him to develop certain attitudes and points of view and these are then collected in a body of conceptions, perceptions and points of view which is called religion. This religion is then passed on from one generation to another through a system of organized teachers called priests, or ministers. Eventually it loses its original purpose and becomes dogmatic and seeks to impose its will upon others. This is because a religious hierarchy springs up, a religious bureaucracy, which is dependant upon the religion for their living. So in order to maintain their positions of power and prestige in the society they seek to impose their will upon people by force. Religion is the invention of men. Religion has nothing to do with God. It is simply a body of conceptions, perceptions, and points of view. These ideas are then taught to others by priests or teachers and so is just passed on from one generation to another. The original purpose of the religion may become lost due to changing times and environment. However, there springs up a religious bureaucracy that gets their living through this religion. So to stay in power they take a dogmatic approach towards the religion. Therefore this body of beliefs is forced upon people, because its original purpose and concepts are irrelevant in the changing times. Religion can be almost anything. It can be Capitalism, Socialism, Communism or any other man made system of beliefs. It could be democracy or a totalitarian system or almost anything. In parts of the world people have cows as the central focus point of their religion. While in others money is the focus point. In the case of Canada money is the real god. The priests are the managers and heads of corporations who follow their religion and wish to see it prosper, because of their positions. Religion has degenerated into a hierarchy system which is just used to benefit a ruling class that is in power. Those in power seek to convince the common people that their religion is the one and only way to the truth. They offer them a pre-packaged set of concepts and ideas which they must accept to be on the way to paradise. They offer a mold that believers can cast themselves into. If you don't accept their way then you are sure to be on the way to hell. The world is just interpreted so that it fits into the narrow confines of the religion. Anything that may contradict their position is conveniently ignored. Mailing Address: Ray Wegner P.O. Box 475 Stn. Main Calgary, Alberta T2P-2J1 Telephone (403) 274-5253 E-mail
Guarantee of Rights and Freedoms and Fundamental Freedoms (from the Canadian Constitution) " The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: (a) freedom of conscience and religion; (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; (c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and (d) freedom of association. " Readers are encouraged to point out biblical errors in all of my material and writings on spiritual matters. If you can find scriptural errors in my teachings - teachings that cannot be backed up by hard, concrete biblical doctrine - then I will gladly accept the constructive criticism and make the changes needed. So please go ahead and point out my mistakes, but your criticism must not be based on mere opinion, but must be able to be proved from the Bible. This web built, designed, and owned by Ray Wegner.
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